To Save One's Self
by Bookdancer
Summary: The team goes to defeat a new villain, ClockWatcher, but things go badly when one of the team is tied up and set for execution with none of the others able to help. Will they be able to save themselves and defeat ClockWatcher, or will they surrender themselves to the darkness... with no chance of rescue. One-Shot.


**Okay, so this is my first Young Justice fanfic. I honestly didn't expect it to be like this... it's not my first YJ idea, so I thought I'd write one of my other ideas first... obviously, that didn't happen.**

**Also, someone reviewed me (thanks Hito me Bore) saying that second POV stories (what this was originally done in) are not allowed on FF. Why they aren't, I don't know, but I did check, and... they were actually right. So I have changed it to third POV (even though I think it was cooler in second POV).**

**Another thing... I have only watched the first 17 episodes, so only those characters will be in this. I may use other info based on the fanfics I've read, but other than that, nothing other than what I know from the first 17.**

**I do not own Young Justice.**

To Save One's Self

Robin looked on in horror as ClockWatcher - a new criminal - took aim with the gun in his hands. ClockWatcher was, surprisingly, fairly dangerous. Not as dangerous as the Joker, of course - no one could beat _him_, but more dangerous than Robin had suspected. More dangerous than any superheroes of the Justice League or Young Justice had thought. And now Robin was going to pay for it.

Kid Flash had been knocked unconscious by one of ClockWatcher's felons. Miss Martian was desperately flying toward Robin, hands outstretched, but she could do nothing. Not even her telekinesis could save Robin now. Artemis was warding off a group of crooks in hand-to-hand combat, protecting Kid Flash. Aqualad was too far away to do anything, and he watched, horrorstruck, from his position on top of a crate. Superboy could do nothing as well, even though he was running as fast as he could toward Robin. Robin was on his own. He must think of something... anything... to get himself out of this position. The problem is that he was tied to a chair.

Robin thought back to how it had all started...

_"Your mission is to stop ClockWatcher - for good. He is too dangerous to be left alive. I know it is harsh, but with the powers he possesses..." Batman trailed off, eyeing Young Justice. "You understand, I hope?"_

_ "Of course, we do, Batman." Aqualad replied, casting a sharp glance at his teammates. Robin and his friends nodded in response._

_ "Yes, Batman." Robin agreed. "But what are his powers?"_

_ "Ah. His powers..." Batman trails off again, only to pick back up, "They are unlike any that I have seen before. He is actually a human. His power is his brain."_

_ "His brain?" Kid Flash asks, eager to learn more and get going on the mission. Robin noticed that he was actually vibrating in his excitement, and he laughed to himself. 'Astrous', he thought._

"This is so not astrous." Robin whispered to himself. But he had to do something.

His gaze alighted upon a watch with a small dial on it.

_"ClockWatcher made watches that allow the wearer to travel back in time. To anytime. The only problem is that you wouldn't be able to go forward in time."_

Batman's voice echoes in Robin's head. He grabbed the watch best he could, spinning the dial so it rested on two minutes. That should be enough to work. Robin pressed the button, praying it would work.

Robin felt himself spinning through time, the shouts of his friends and ClockWatcher echoing in his ears. And then he was falling (gracefully, he insisted) to the ground, several feet away from ClockWatcher and his spot just moments... ahead, not before, he reminded himself.

Robin looked around to find himself on the same dock that he and the team had attacked ClockWatcher on. Aqualad was still on top of the crate, using it to attack his enemies. Superboy was fighting with his back to Aqualad's crate, Miss Martian hovering in the air, trying to get to Robin's other self. Kid Flash was just getting knocked unconscious, and Robin winced, watching it for the first time. Artemis whirled around and bounded toward KF, beginning to defend him.

Then Robin saw himself starting to stir from his unconsciousness. (He remembered being knocked unconscious with a gas that ClockWatcher had thrown at him. Then he'd been tied to a chair.) Robin watched as he (or his past self, Robin was still trying to get the hang of knowing that there were two of him now) took in the situation, seeing the hopelessness, and then the determination, alight in his eyes.

But Robin was already sprinting for ClockWatcher. He barely paused to see everyone's confusion (after all, how could there be _two_ Robins?) but still managed to see himself realize what had happened, what he had done.

Then Robin was at ClockWatcher, hands outstretched... he took the bullet meant for his other self, but it wasn't life threatening. Either way, he wasn't getting out of this alive. Not _Robin_ Robin, anyway. His past Robin was getting out of this. He was going to have to die somehow, though. There couldn't be two Robins. And once he was gone, the world would be back to normal.

Robin clutched at ClockWatcher, tumbling into the black waters below the dock. He forced ClockWatcher underwater, swimming as deep as he could. ClockWatcher is dying before Robin, Robin would make sure of that.

A few minutes later, Robin felt him go limp, and he released him, letting him drift to the surface, dead. Seconds later, he allowed the darkness to take himself, as well. 'The mission', Robin thought, 'was a success. Definitely some aster in there, too.'

** ... soooooo... that was a rather abrupt ending, and it wasn't really as good as I'd hoped it to be. *sigh* Oh, well. What'd you guys think?**

**Oh, yeah, and I hope I used Robin's words correctly... I wanted to fit some in (they're part of why I love Robin!), but I wasn't really sure...**

** Also, the reason I made up ClockWatcher is because I don't know of any bad guys with his abilities (or watches), and I wasn't sure how to make someone like the Penguin, or the Joker (like Batman would send the team after _him_), or any other bad guy. Either way, I hope you liked 'im.**

** Also, if you noticed some mistakes in there, it's probably because I had to change it from second to third POV, and I was too lazy to read it over. Not to mention, I don't have a beta.**

** I hope you liked this, and please review!**


End file.
